Astronaut Glove Box

Bring space exploration to the classroom with the Astronaut Glove Box! Using recycled materials, you and your students will create a glove box that encourages dramatic play and helps children learn about science and space. Simply take a cardboard box (this interactive activity would be a perfect way to use Kaplan boxes), make holes for the gloves, fill the box with sand and a variety of objects, cover with plastic wrap, and decorate the box with a space theme to get started.

How does the Astronaut Glove Box activity encourage dramatic play and help children learn about science?

Glove boxes are used by astronauts and scientists to study a variety of objects that may be harmful to humans without proper protection or objects that can be damaged by human touch. Building a DIY Astronaut Glove Box in your classroom can help children have a better understanding of the glove box and the role it plays in science and research. The Astronaut Glove Box also presents children with the opportunity to become astronauts for a day. Consider having children dress up in astronaut costumes and pretend that the rocks in the glove box are moon rocks to help spark children's imaginations as they engage with box.

Required Materials:

1Prep the Box

Using scissors, cut off the box flaps, and then paint the outside of the box with black acrylic paint.

2Cut Out Holes

Trace the opening of a plastic cup with a black marker to create two circles on one side of the box. Use a box cutter (adult use only) to cut out the circles and make the holes. The holes should be large enough for children to easily fit their hand through.

3Insert the Gloves

Push a glove through each hole. Make sure they're placed where children can easily slide their hands in and out the gloves, and then use duct tape to tape the ends of the gloves to the box and form a complete seal.

4Fill the Box

Fill the box with a variety of objects and materials children can touch and explore with the gloves. We included sand, rocks, and other fun sensory materials in our Astronaut Glove Box.

5Cover the Box

After the box is filled with different objects for children to examine, cover the top of the box with plastic wrap to help children see what they're doing when they put their hands into the gloves.

6Decorate the Box

Draw stars or have children put star stickers on the box. Children can also use white markers or Kwik Stix to create their space-themed design.

7Get Hands On with Science and Space!

Encourage children to pretend they're astronauts in space as they explore the contents of the glove box.